Protect Your Health From Plastic Chemical Replacements

When it became clear that DEHP (di-2-ethylhexylphlatate) used in making plastic wrap, soap, cosmetics and processed food containers, was a dangerous hormone-disruptor that could wreak havoc on you and your child’s health and development, US industry phased it out. (It’s been banned in Europe since 2004.)

But now researchers at New York University have bad news for us: the allegedly safer replacements, DINP (di-isononyl phthalate ) and DIDP (di-isodecyl phthalate) are also phthalates and duplicate DEHP’s adverse health effects on both children and adults. This is reminiscent of those new BPA-free products that are now made with BPA’s close cousin BPS, which is also a hormone disrupter.

How can you keep your child’s -- and your -- good health from being fumbled away by these phthalates? The researchers say you can significantly reduce body levels of these disruptive chemicals if you use wax paper, glass containers and aluminum wrap in place of plastics for food and drink. Skip canned foods and opt for fresh - not in plastic - instead. If you do use plastic, wash food containers by hand; dishwasher soaps can make plastics more likely to leach their chemicals into your food. And never use plastics marked with 3, 6, or 7 in the recycle triangle for food or personal grooming products.